Apple Reports Second Quarter Results

Source: Apple Press - Press Releases - April 26, 2016

Capital Return Program Expanding to $250 Billion

CUPERTINO, California — April 26, 2016 — Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2016 second quarter ended March 26, 2016. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $50.6 billion and quarterly net income of $10.5 billion, or $1.90 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $58 billion and net income of $13.6 billion, or $2.33 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 39.4 percent compared to 40.8 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 67 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

“Our team executed extremely well in the face of strong macroeconomic headwinds,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We are very happy with the continued strong growth in revenue from Services, thanks to the incredible strength of the Apple ecosystem and our growing base of over one billion active devices.”

The Company also announced that its Board of Directors has authorized an increase of $50 billion to the Company’s program to return capital to shareholders. Under the expanded program, Apple plans to spend a cumulative total of $250 billion of cash by the end of March 2018.

“We generated strong operating cash flow of $11.6 billion and returned $10 billion to shareholders through our capital return program during the March quarter,” said Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO. “Thanks to the strength of our business results, we are happy to be announcing today a further increase of the program to $250 billion.”

As part of the updated program, the Board has increased its share repurchase authorization to $175 billion from the $140 billion level announced last year. The Company also expects to continue to net-share-settle vesting restricted stock units.

The Board has approved an increase of 10 percent to the Company’s quarterly dividend, and has declared a dividend of $.57 per share, payable on May 12, 2016 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on May 9, 2016.

From the inception of its capital return program in August 2012 through March 2016, Apple has returned over $163 billion to shareholders, including $117 billion in share repurchases.

The Company plans to continue to access the domestic and international debt markets to assist in funding the program. The management team and the Board will continue to review each element of the capital return program regularly and plan to provide an update on the program on an annual basis.

Apple is providing the following guidance for its fiscal 2016 third quarter:

• revenue between $41 billion and $43 billion
• gross margin between 37.5 percent and 38 percent
• operating expenses between $6 billion and $6.1 billion
• other income/(expense) of $300 million
• tax rate of 25.5 percent

Apple will provide live streaming of its Q2 2016 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on April 26, 2016 at www.apple.com/investor/earnings-call/. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.

This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company’s estimated revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, other income/(expense), tax rate, and plans for dividends, share repurchases and public debt issuance. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company’s reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company’s products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company’s gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company’s need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company’s business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company’s dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company’s international operations; the Company’s reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company’s dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company’s products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company’s sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included from time to time in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 26, 2015, its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 26, 2015, and its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 26, 2016 to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, OS X, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

WatchDox by BlackBerry Named a Leader in Enterprise File SYNC and Share for Hybrid Solutions

Source: BlackBerry Press - Press Releases - April 26, 2016

Waterloo, ON – April 26, 2016 – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in secure mobile communications, today announced that it has been named a “Leader” in The Forrester Wave™: Enterprise File Sync And Share Platforms, Hybrid Solutions, Q2 2016. Forrester Research, Inc. evaluated WatchDox by BlackBerry along with offerings from nine other of the most significant EFSS vendors. The WatchDox solution scored among the highest in 17 of the 37 criteria evaluated by Forrester, including Architecture, Security Capabilities, Scalability, File Access, External Sharing, Rights Management, MDM/EMM support, Mobile Protection and Technology Strategy.

According to Forrester Research, “BlackBerry embraces secure file sharing with its software-centric renewal strategy. BlackBerry’s acquisition of WatchDox in 2015 launches it into the collaboration market as it evolves into a platform for secure business communication. BlackBerry shows particular strength in the security criteria for EFSS, with integrated rights management, watermarking for confidential items, and mobile protection.”

“The Forrester EFSS Wave 2016 validates that enterprises can rely on BlackBerry when securely handling all their sensitive documents internally and externally,” said Billy Ho, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Product and Value Added Solutions, BlackBerry. “We are pleased to be listed as a leader in the EFSS solutions market, showing that our strategy of ensuring the highest levels of security and personal privacy is helping enterprises to be more productive while protecting their corporate assets.”

WatchDox by BlackBerry stands out from other vendors in the EFSS space for its rich security and collaboration features. WatchDox is known for its document encryption controls based on digital rights management (DRM), extensive data protection and security capabilities including policy enforcements, role-based access control, and extensive secure content editing capabilities that allow for productive collaboration. WatchDox by BlackBerry offers the most secure EFSS solution, with content security capabilities that are Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 certified by the U.S. government and utilize best-in-class AES 256-bit encryption for data-at-rest and data-in-transit.

Built to meet the needs of enterprises with the highest security requirements, WatchDox by BlackBerry also offers flexibility in deployment models including on-premise and hosted solutions. WatchDox Connectors extend existing file repositories, making them available through the WatchDox interface, outside the company firewall and protected by DRM. This enables employees to easily collaborate with external contacts on their existing asset libraries and avoids having to duplicate files in the cloud.

WatchDox allows users to access documents from PC and Mac desktops, tablets, and smartphones, giving employees the flexibility to work across locations and be productive no matter where they are. Users and administrators can also track and audit who is accessing files and they have the ability to revoke access or delete files remotely. This gives organizations full visibility and control over how files are viewed, edited, copied, printed or forwarded.

With WatchDox being also part of the Good Secure EMM Suites, BlackBerry provides the industry’s most comprehensive mobile security platform, and is the only vendor to offer cross-platform device management, secure and encrypted voice, text, messaging and enterprise file-sync-and-share solutions in one EMM portfolio.

For more information, visit www.blackberry.com/watchdox.

[1] Forrester Research, Inc. " The Forrester Wave™: Enterprise File Sync And Share Platforms, Hybrid Solutions, Q2 2016, " by Cheryl McKinnon, April 26, 2016.

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry is securing a connected world, delivering innovative solutions across the entire mobile ecosystem and beyond. We secure the world’s most sensitive data across all end points – from cars to smartphones – making the mobile-first enterprise vision a reality. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The Company trades under the ticker symbols “BB” on the Toronto Stock Exchange and “BBRY” on the NASDAQ. For more information, visit www.BlackBerry.com.

PRIV by BlackBerry now Runs on Android Marshmallow

Source: BlackBerry Press - Press Releases - April 26, 2016

Waterloo, ON – April 26, 2016 – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in secure mobile communications, has released the Android 6.0 Marshmallow (M) mobile operating system for PRIV, the first-ever BlackBerry smartphone fully powered by Android. PRIV with Android M is now available on ShopBlackBerry.com, and coming soon to all major carriers offering the smartphone. Existing PRIV users will be able to upgrade to Android M by downloading the software update on their device.

Android Marshmallow on PRIV brings users more ways to improve their mobile security by providing new opportunities to monitor and control privacy with its unique DTEK app. Users will obtain greater productivity through enhancements to the BlackBerry keyboard, BlackBerry Hub, BlackBerry launcher and battery performance. Updates to the BlackBerry camera will foster their creativity.

“PRIV by BlackBerry is the most secure Android device in the market and we continue to find ways to further enhance users’ security and privacy by adding new features with the Marshmallow operating system update,” ‎said John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO, BlackBerry.

Raising the Standard for Privacy and Security

Building on BlackBerry’s legacy of security and keeping customer data private, DTEK by BlackBerry has been updated to empower users with more ways to monitor and control their privacy – better protecting PRIV from malware, hacks and data breaches.

·       Customized Personal Data Permissions – Apps demand access to personal data, even when it’s not necessary for the app to function properly. DTEK gives the power back to users to control what to share and when. Turn permissions off at any time and still continue to use the app.

·       Improved Notification Settings – Users will only be shown notification controls for sensors that a given app has specifically requested access to. For example, if an application does not request microphone it will not appear in the list.

·       S/MIME Support – The new S/MIME feature in BlackBerry Hub adds another level of security by allowing users to digitally sign and encrypt their emails.

Enhanced BlackBerry Keyboard

The BlackBerry Keyboard has been updated to provide better predictive typing, accuracy, and control.

·       More Emoji – Users now have access to over 200 new and updated emojis.

·       New Gesture Typing – The new swipecapability allows users to slide their fingers from key to key to enter words on the virtual and/or physical keyboard.

·       Enhanced Word Prediction – Better word predictions anticipate the next word based on where users place their fingers on keys. Predictive typing now also learns words with numbers and provides better name suggestions based on a user’s contacts.

·       Better Cursor Control – Activate “Cursor Control” mode on the physical keyboardfor easier positioning and control. Tapping a key on the physical keyboard more accurately places the focus cursor on screen.

Know What You Want, When You Want

Customized notifications to better organize apps and manage productivity with a touch of a button.

·       Mute Indicator – Users can now see the phone’s mute status at a glance via the floating phone indicator that appears when a call is active. Green for when call is active and not muted, yellow for when a call is active and currently muted.

·       New Apps in BlackBerry Hub – Staying connected with friends has never been simpler. Now view notifications from app favorites Instagram, Skype, Slack and Pinterestdirectly in BlackBerry Hub to easily manage all messages in one place.

·       Updated BlackBerry Launcher – Better organize apps and widgets into Recent, Personal, and Work sections. Pop-up Widgets are now turned on by default for new users. Set a default home screen, delete a home screen, and remove apps with a flick.

More Battery Life

Get even more out of PRIV with updates to further improve the battery life. When PRIV is at rest, Doze automatically puts the device into a sleep state to increase standby battery life.  The App Standby feature will keep infrequently used apps from impacting the battery life.

Engage Your Creative Side

Added tools help customers capture the perfect image with ease and add their own creative flair.

·       Capture Professional and Cinematic Quality Videos – Record videos at 24fps in 4k, 1080p or 720p, for high-quality footage to share on social media.

·       Slow Motion Video* – Capture smooth slow motion video with the PRIV’s camera that’s up to four times slower. Capture video at 120 fps, which plays back smoothly at 30 fps. The slow motion effect can be applied after taking the video and can be applied to all or any portion of the video.

* Audio is not enabled for slow-motion video at this time.

For more information on PRIV, go to BlackBerry.com/PRIV. Follow all updates to PRIV on the Inside BlackBerry blog (blogs.BlackBerry.com). A full list of Android 6.0 Marshmallow updates can be found at:https://www.android.com/intl/en_ca/versions/marshmallow-6-0/

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry is securing a connected world, delivering innovative solutions across the entire mobile ecosystem and beyond. We secure the world’s most sensitive data across all end points – from cars to smartphones – making the mobile-first enterprise vision a reality. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The Company trades under the ticker symbols “BB” on the Toronto Stock Exchange and “BBRY” on the NASDAQ. For more information, visit www.BlackBerry.com.

Hotremit APP by Digitsecure Adopts BBM for Mobile Payments and Expense Tracking

Source: BlackBerry Press - Press Releases - April 22, 2016

New Delhi, India – April 22, 2016 –BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ:BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in secure mobile communications and Digitsecure, a leading mobility, identity and payments platform company today announced that they are bringing the immediacy and reliability  of BBM™ to HotRemit digital money transfers in India.

HotRemit, a social wallet app developed by Digitsecure, simplifies money transfers, including sending and requesting money, mobile top-up and DTH recharge using phone numbers. It is now available on BBM. Starting today, BBM users can initiate instant mobile payment transfers in BBM and receive customized expense reports for personal and professional expenses. 

HotRemit enables real-time, secure and seamless digital financial transactions. Users can seamlessly send money to any of their BBM contacts using HotRemit without the complications of traditional money transfer. HotRemit is operated in a PCI-DSS certified environment, ensuring security of transactions and data, both in rest, and transmission.

“BBM provides a convenient and instant social platform for money transfers, top-ups and expense tracking to both individuals and organizations. HotRemit is committed to social financial transactions and adding more social features that simplify day to day mundane tasks,” said Jay Krishna, Founder director, DigitSecure.

“BBM is trusted by customers across the world for its reliability, control features and immediacy. There’s a growing appetite for mobile payment solutions and supporting mobile wallets, and HotRemit is another great example of how we are developing the BBM ecosystem to successfully integrate chat, social and commerce,” says Matthew Talbot, SVP, BBM at BlackBerry.

The BBM-enabled HotRemit app is available as a free download for BlackBerry®, Android™ and iOS devices from BlackBerry World, Google Play and App Store.

About BBM

Introduced in 2005, BBM set the standard for mobile instant messaging and continues to drive innovation in messaging and private social networking. Today, BBM is one of the largest private social mobile networks, driving real, active conversations. Customers love BBM for its reliability, controls and immediacy with Delivered and Read statuses and message-in-progress notices.

About BlackBerry
BlackBerry is securing a connected world, delivering innovative solutions across the entire mobile ecosystem and beyond. We secure the world’s most sensitive data across all end points – from cars to smartphones – making the mobile-first enterprise vision a reality. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The Company trades under the ticker symbols “BB” on the Toronto Stock Exchange and “BBRY” on the NASDAQ. For more information, visit www.BlackBerry.com.

About HotRemit

HotRemit simplifies money transfers, money pooling, requesting money, donating, mobile and DTH top-ups using phone numbers or BBM. It is free to download on BlackBerry, iOS and Android devices.

About DigitSecure India Private limited

Digitsecure is a mobility first LastMile enabling company specializing in end to end platform for Identification, Payments, Money transfer and Tracking. ‎Launched LastMile platform in year 2015 which is an end to end secure platform consisting of secure Handhelds and secure platform connected with Banks & Aadhaar. Digitsecure works with clients in banking, insurance, ecommerce, logistics and government. For more information on DigitSecure, please visit:www.DigitSecure.com.

Apple Updates MacBook with Latest Processors, Longer Battery Life & New Rose Gold Finish

Source: Apple Press - Press Releases - April 19, 2016

CUPERTINO, California ― Apple® today updated MacBook® with the latest Intel processors, improved graphics performance, faster flash storage and an additional hour of battery life, making the thinnest and lightest Mac® better than ever. Featuring an all-metal unibody enclosure, MacBook is now available in four aluminum finishes — gold, silver, space gray, and for the first time on a Mac, a gorgeous rose gold. With a stunning 12-inch Retina® display, highly responsive full-size keyboard, Force Touch trackpad, versatile USB-C port and all-day battery life in a design that is just 2 pounds and 13.1 mm thin, MacBook is the future of the notebook. 

 

“MacBook is the thinnest and lightest Mac we have ever made and it’s our vision for the future of the notebook,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Customers are going to love this update to MacBook, with the latest processors, faster graphics, faster flash storage, longer battery life and a beautiful rose gold finish.”

 

The updated MacBook features sixth-generation dual-core Intel Core M processors up to 1.3 GHz, with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, and faster 1866 MHz memory. New Intel HD Graphics 515 deliver up to 25 percent faster graphics performance, and faster PCIe-based flash storage makes everyday tasks feel snappier — from launching apps to opening files.* And now with up to 10 hours of wireless web browsing and up to 11 hours of iTunes® movie playback, MacBook is the perfect notebook for all day, on-the-go computing.**

 

MacBook comes with the incredibly small and versatile USB-C port for charging, data transfer and video output in a single connector that is one-third the size of a traditional USB port. Following the introduction of USB-C on MacBook, the ecosystem of Apple and third-party USB-C accessories has continued to grow, giving users added flexibility and capability.

 

With no moving parts or vents, MacBook is entirely fanless for silent, efficient performance. Designed for the wireless world, MacBook is equipped with the latest wireless technologies, including built-in 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 for fast wireless connectivity. It is perfect for tasks like streaming content from your MacBook to your Apple TV® using AirPlay®, exchanging files quickly using AirDrop® or using wireless headphones. 

 

Apple also today made 8GB of memory standard across all configurations of the 13-inch MacBook Air®.

 

Every new Mac comes with OS X® El Capitan, the latest version of OS X that refines the Mac experience and improves system performance. El Capitan builds on the groundbreaking features and beautiful design of OS X Yosemite, with updates to window management, built-in apps and Spotlight® search, and performance improvements to make everyday activities — like launching and switching apps, opening PDFs and accessing email — faster and more responsive.

 

iMovie®, GarageBand® and the suite of iWork® apps come free with every new Mac. iMovie lets you easily create beautiful movies and you can use GarageBand to make music, or learn to play piano and guitar. The iWork suite of Pages®, Numbers® and Keynote® makes it easy to create, edit and share stunning documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Pages, Numbers and Keynote for iCloud® let you create a document on iPhone® or iPad®, edit it on your Mac and collaborate with friends, even if they are on a PC.

 

Pricing & Availability

MacBook is available through Apple.com starting today, and in Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers starting tomorrow. MacBook comes with a 1.1 GHz dual-core Intel Core m3 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.2 GHz, 8GB of memory and 256GB of flash storage for $1,299 (US), and with a 1.2 GHz dual-core Intel Core m5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.7 GHz, 8GB of memory and 512GB of flash storage for $1,599 (US). Configure-to-order options include a 1.3 GHz dual-core Intel Core m7 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz. Additional technical specifications and accessories are available online at www.apple.com/macbook.

 

*Testing conducted by Apple in April 2016 using preproduction MacBook configurations. For more information visit www.apple.com/macbook.

 

**The Wireless Web protocol testing was conducted by Apple in April 2016 using preproduction MacBook configurations. Battery life and charge cycles vary by use and settings. For more information visit www.apple.com/macbook.

 

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, OS X, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference Kicks Off June 13 in San Francisco

 Source: Apple Press - Press Releases - April 18, 2016

Developers Can Apply for Tickets Now & Millions Worldwide Can Watch Sessions Streamed Live

CUPERTINO, California — April 18, 2016 — Apple® today announced that it will hold its 27th annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), hosting the creative talent behind the world’s most innovative apps, from June 13 through 17 in San Francisco. At WWDC, Apple’s developer community comes together from all corners of the globe to learn about the future of Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, OS X®, watchOS® and tvOS™.

Monday’s kickoff events, including the keynote address, will be held at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. The rest of the week’s conference sessions will take place at Moscone West. 

“With four innovative operating systems and a new, intuitive programming language powering over 1 billion devices worldwide, there has never been a more exciting time to bring our developer community together,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “WWDC 2016 is going to be a landmark event for developers who are coding in Swift, and building apps and products for iOS, OS X, watchOS and tvOS. We can’t wait for everyone to join us — in San Francisco or through the live stream.”

Developers can apply for tickets via the WWDC website (developer.apple.com/wwdc/register/) now through Friday, April 22 at 10:00 a.m. PDT. Tickets will be issued to attendees through a random selection process, and developers will be notified on the status of their application by Monday, April 25 at 5:00 p.m. PDT. For the second consecutive year, there will be up to 350 WWDC Scholarships available, giving students and STEM organization members from around the world an opportunity to earn a ticket to meet and collaborate with some of the most talented developers of Apple’s ever-growing app ecosystem (developer.apple.com/wwdc/scholarships/). Additionally, this year, we will provide travel assistance to up to 125 scholarship recipients to ensure aspiring developers with financial limitations have an opportunity to participate. 

WWDC 2016 activities include:
over 1,000 Apple engineers supporting more than 150 hands-on labs and events to provide developers with code-level assistance, insight into optimal development techniques and guidance on how they can make the most of iOS, OS X, watchOS and tvOS technologies in their apps;
access to the latest innovations, features and capabilities of iOS, OS X, watchOS and tvOS, and best practices for enhancing an app’s functionality, performance, quality and design;
the opportunity to connect with thousands of fellow iOS, OS X, watchOS and tvOS developers from around the world — last year, 80 percent of developers attended for their first time, and in total, more than 70 countries were represented; 
a series of get-togethers for attendees focused on particular topics with special guest speakers and activities;
engaging and inspirational lunchtime sessions with trailblazers and influencers from the worlds of technology, science and entertainment; and
the Apple Design Awards which recognize iPhone®, iPad®, Apple Watch®, Apple TV® and Mac® apps that demonstrate technical excellence, innovation and outstanding design.

Worldwide Developers Conference sessions will be streamed live throughout the week via the WWDC website (developer.apple.com/wwdc/live/) and through the WWDC app, giving developers around the world access to the week’s news and events.

Visit the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2016 website (developer.apple.com/wwdc/register/) to apply for a ticket, as well as for updates and more information.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, OS X, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

BlackBerry's PRIV Secure Smartphone with Android Available on Amazon Mexico Today

Source: BlackBerry Press - Press Releases - April 14, 2016

Mexico City– APRIL 14, 2016 –Customers in Mexico can now get the best of BlackBerry’s productivity, security and privacy features plus the full Android™ ecosystem, all in one ultra-thin device. Starting today, BlackBerry’s first Android smartphone, PRIV™ by BlackBerry® is available on Amazon.com.mx.

PRIV sets a new standard for the slider form factor, offering the best of both keyboards – the freedom to choose between a best-in-class physical QWERTY keyboard that slides out from under the display for speed and accuracy or a touch-screen keyboard. In addition, PRIV has BlackBerry’s legendary battery life and the exclusive, new DTEK™ warning system app that lets you easily monitor the security level of the phone and know what apps access the microphone, location, camera and other personal information.

Featuring Android 5.1, PRIV brings incredible new features to the Android platform and gives users full access to over 1 million applications on Google Play™: whether it’s Instagram, Spotify, Uber or BBM®. Additional features include:

· Tough and Beautiful Screen – A stunning 5.4-inch immersive dual-curve OLED display with 2560x1440 resolution offers plenty of room to work or play with rich colors, deep black levels and less power consumption. Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4 delivers amazing durability and along the screen’s curved edge is the Productivity Tab that provides an “at-a-glance” view of the most pertinent info from BlackBerry Hub, Calendar, Task and Contacts.

· State-of-the-Art Camera – Engineered to deliver professional looking photos with minimal effort, an 18MP camera, certified by Schneider-Kreuznach®, integrates technologies commonly found in DSLR cameras.

· Full-day Battery Life – PRIV has a 3410 mAh battery with enough power to work up to 22.5 straight hours of mixed use*.

· Expandable Storage – PRIV offers 32GB of onboard storage and support for micro SD cards up to 2TB, giving users the flexibility to add affordable and hot-swappable storage to download, install, capture and share more.

Customers can order their new PRIV by BlackBerry at Amazon.com.mx. starting today with free shipping, or through a 12 installments plan**.

All rights reserved. BLACKBERRY and EMBLEM & PRIV Design are the trademarks of BlackBerry Limited. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. Used under license.

* Based on mixed usage scenario.  Many factors affect battery life, including network connectivity, application usage, feature configuration and battery age. Actual results may vary.

** Please review payments details, terms and conditions on Amazon.com.mx.

BlackBerry Puts Greater privacy and Control in Hands of all BBM Users

Source: BlackBerry Press - Press Releases - April 4, 2016

With BBM, what you share is always yours to control - even once it’s left your phone

Waterloo, Canada – April 4, 2016 – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in secure mobile communications, today announced the launch of a new BBM release on iOS®, Android™ and BlackBerry® smartphones. With this new release*, BBM users can now take advantage of enhanced privacy and control features that allow them to take control over the messages and content that they share without any subscription fees.

BBM users can ‘Retract’ their message and pictures from recipients to take them back from their phone if they were sent as a mistake, or if they no longer wish them to be accessible. Plus, by setting a timer, users can control how long contacts can view messages and pictures that have been shared or communicate their location for only as long as they want to.

“Building on the renowned immediacy, reliability and security inherent to BBM, the new release provides unmatched level of privacy and control to BBM users without any subscription fees,” said Matthew Talbot, SVP, BBM at BlackBerry. “Keeping control over the messages and content that they share, BBM users can be ensured that what they share is always theirs to control.”

Additional key features include**:

·        Forward messages from one chat to another

·        Ability to mute notifications for a multi-person chat on Android

·        Scroll through all pictures shared within a 1:1 or multi-person chat on Android

·        Choose if users want pictures taken within BBM chats saved to their device

·        Video sharing improvements – capture and share larger videos on iOS

·        Redesigned chat screen look and feel on iOS

·        Multi-select mode to allow multiple messages to be deleted, retracted, or forwarded at once on iOS

·        Retract and edit messages in group chats on BlackBerry 10

·        Retract chat – retract all sent messages when you end a chat on BlackBerry 10

·        Marshmallow (Android 6.0) support

For more information about BBM please visit www.bbm.com.

*It may take 24 hours or more for the update to appear in the app store depending on the mobile platform and region.

**Some features are not available for all devices

About BlackBerry

BlackBerry is securing a connected world, delivering innovative solutions across the entire mobile ecosystem and beyond. We secure the world’s most sensitive data across all end points – from cars to smartphones – making the mobile-first enterprise vision a reality. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, BlackBerry operates offices in North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America. The Company trades under the ticker symbols “BB” on the Toronto Stock Exchange and “BBRY” on the NASDAQ. For more information, visit www.BlackBerry.com.

BlackBerry Reports Software and Services Growth of 106 Percent for Q4 and 113 Percent for Fiscal 2016

Source: BlackBerry Press - Press Releases - April 1, 2016

Company reports positive free cash flow for eighth consecutive quarter and positive EBITDA for ninth consecutive quarter

View the BlackBerry Fiscal 2016 Forth Quarter Results (PDF)